Deployable storage system for vehicles

ABSTRACT

A deployable hay pod elevator system for a transport trailer, such as a livestock trailer, provides a readily deployable hay pod, storage pod, or supply platform with the trailer, and is readily stowable above the trailer in a raised configuration for travel. The elevator system includes a deployable supply platform and a lift system configured to raise and lower the supply platform relative to the trailer. The lift system may include a screw drive system or a winch and cable system to vertically raise and lower the deployable supply platform. The lift system may pivot or rotate the hay pod over the top of the trailer for transportation purposes. The deployable hay pod elevator system can be fitted to a truck, a van, or other types of vehicles and can be configured to store and transport various materials, such as hay, tools, or livestock tack.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority of U.S. provisional applicationsSer. No. 62/834,443, filed Apr. 16, 2019, and Ser. No. 62/915,969, filedOct. 16, 2019, which are both hereby incorporated herein by reference intheir entireties.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to storage systems for recreationalvehicles, work vehicles, trailers, and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Those who move livestock, goods, or materials over-the-road from onelocation to another, for reason of work, hobby or show, or recreation,typically do so using towable trailers specially designed for thispurpose. Some trailers, such as horse trailers, have provisions toaccommodate one or more animals in a main compartment, and providestorage areas for other goods such as feed (e.g., hay) as well assaddles, bridles, blankets, and other horse-related equipment knowngenerally as “tack”. In addition, when horses are being transported overlonger distances and for a period of several days, hay, water, andbedding (e.g., wood shavings) are also carried in or on the trailer orthe tow vehicle. Some known horse trailers have a designated roof toparea where several bales of hay can be stored. However, various othertypes of vehicles such as work vehicles (trucks, vans, etc.),recreational vehicles (including self-powered camper RV's, boats,camping trailers and toy haulers), often include storage bins forvarious goods, which bins may be accessible from outside the vehicles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides, in its various forms, a transporttrailer with an integrated and deployable storage elevator for liftingand stowing supplies or feed, such as tack or hay. The integratedstorage elevator can be deployed and retracted manually or automaticallyby means of an onboard motor such as an electrical power system or thelike, which may be powered by a rechargeable battery, a combustionengine, or a tow vehicle electrical or pneumatic or hydraulic system,for example. The storage elevator includes a deployable supply handlingplatform or storage bin that can be raised to an out-of-the-way storagelocation atop the trailer to which it is mounted, and the storage bincan be lowered or deployed to at least one side or to a front or rear ofthe trailer, where it can be conveniently accessed for loading,unloading, or storage while the trailer is parked. The storage elevatorincludes a raising and lowering element, such as a lift hoist, tovertically raise and lower the storage bin along a vertical travel paththat is parallel to an upright wall of the trailer. In one aspect, theraising and lowering element includes a motor to raise and lower thestorage bin. Optionally, the deployable storage elevator providessimplified push-button deployment and retraction, with heavy lifting andstowing of the storage bin handled by a deployment mechanism. Thedeployable storage elevator system provides a readily deployable storagebin along with the trailer. The system may be integrated into thetrailer to provide one or more self-deploying and self-stowing storagebins, such as for overnight or short term use during travel with horsesor other livestock, during camping activities, or the like. The elevatorsystem may pivot or rotate the storage bin to a stowed location atop thetrailer.

In one form of the present invention, the deployable storage elevatorincludes a screw drive disposed inside of a support tube. The supporttube includes a keyway to guide the storage bin along said screw driveduring stowing and deploying of the support bin. The screw drive rotatesand threadedly engages with a lift element, such as a support arm or abearing block, which translates vertically within the support tube inresponse to rotation of the screw drive. The lift element is coupled tothe storage bin so that the storage bin is raised and lowered with thelift element in response to the screw drive. As the screw drive rotates,the lift element climbs up or down the screw drive depending on thedirection of rotation of the screw drive. Optionally, as the storage binapproaches the top of the support tube, a twisting or pivoting featureor mechanism pivots the storage bin around the rotational axis of thescrew drive and over the top of the trailer where it is stowed fortravel. The pivoting feature may include an expanded width portion at anupper region of the support tube, such as to accommodate pivotingmovement of a linkage arm associated with the storage bin. Optionally, adeployment assist mechanism, such as a torsion spring, is provided withthe elevator system to assist in deploying the storage bin from abovethe trailer.

In one aspect, a linkage arm is disposed between the screw drive and thestorage bin to raise and lower the storage bin relative to the uprightwall of the trailer and, once the storage bin reaches the roof or top ofthe upright wall the linkage arm pivots the storage bin above thetrailer. A pivot or hinge disposed between the storage bin and thesupport tube allows the storage bin to pivot from an upright orientationat or above the top of the trailer to a tipped-over stowed orientationatop the trailer. The linkage is moved as the lift element climbs up anddown the screw drive. When the screw drive is reversed, the linkage isallowed to move downwardly as the lift element climbs down the screwdrive, which pulls the storage bin and pivots it around the pivot intoan upright orientation. Once the storage bin is in the uprightorientation, the linkage allows the storage bin to move down toward thedeployed position.

In another form of the present invention, a deployable storage elevatorincludes a cable winch and a cable that coordinate to raise and lower astorage bin. The winch is disposed on the roof of the trailer andretracts or extends the cable to raise and lower the storage bin betweena stowed position on top of the trailer and a deployed position near aside or back of the trailer. The cable and winch pull the storage binupward relative to an upright wall of the trailer and over the edge atthe wall and roof of the trailer, and then pulls and slides the storagebin along the roof to the stowed configuration. In still another aspect,the elevator includes a deployment assist mechanism, which may include ahandling platform or storage bin support frame disposed proximate anedge of the trailer wall and roof. The cable and winch pull the storagebin into the support frame. The bin support frame receives the storagebin as it raises relative to the trailer and secures the storage bininto the frame. Once the storage bin is fully received in the supportframe, the winch and cable pull the support frame toward the winch,causing the support frame to pivot downward from an upright orientationtoward the roof of the trailer until the support frame and storage binare supported by the roof in a substantially flat orientation relativeto the roof. Optionally, the deployment assist mechanism includes atorsion spring coupled with the support frame to assist in returning thesupport frame to an upright orientation to deploy the storage bin fromabove the trailer when the winch extends the cable.

In another aspect, the deployable storage elevator includes a controlsystem disposed with the elevator to control the motor and to stop themotor when the hay reaches the fully stowed position or the fullydeployed position. Preferably, a proximity sensor, motor speed control,or circuit controller is included with the control system to activateand de-activate the elevator as desired.

In yet another aspect, the storage bin is pivotable or rotatablerelative to the trailer about either of a generally vertical axis thatis substantially parallel to the vertical travel path of the elevatorsystem, or a generally horizontal axis that is substantiallyperpendicular to the vertical travel path of the elevator andsubstantially parallel to the upright wall of the trailer respective tothe elevator.

In another form of the present invention, a deployable elevator systemincludes a raising and lowering element to raise and lower a supplymount having a deployable corral extendably coupled to the mount. Thedeployable corral includes a plurality of corral panels extendablycoupled to one another which, in a deployed configuration, define afenced-in corral space, such as for corralling livestock. The elevatorsystem raises the mount and corral to a stowed position for travel andlowers the mount and corral to a deployed position allowing a user toselectively deploy the corral as desired. Optionally, the supply mountincludes a hay pod to provide storage for supplies and equipment, suchas hay or livestock tack.

Accordingly, the deployable storage elevator of the present inventionallows users to easily lift, stow, and deploy a storage bin containingsupplies, such as hay, along the exterior of a vehicle such as atrailer, a recreational vehicle, a pickup truck, a pickup truck slide-incamper, a pickup truck bed rail, a pickup truck topper, an automobileroof top carrier, and various other motorized and non-motorizedvehicles. The storage elevator can be actuated between raised, stowed,and lowered configurations using a drive system, such as a powered screwdrive system that requires little more than pushbutton or remoteactuation by an operator. When the storage elevator is integrated into avehicle such as a towable trailer or a motor vehicle, its variouscomponents can be recessed into channels in order to avoid significantlyaltering the vehicle's overall length or width, and the storage bin(s)can be stowed above the vehicle to avoid blocking access around thetrailer or vehicle.

These and other objects, advantages, purposes, and features of thepresent invention will become more apparent upon review of the followingspecification in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a transport trailer with deployablehay pod elevators in accordance with the present invention, shown withone hay pod elevator in a travel-ready configuration and one hay podelevator in a deployed configuration;

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the deployable hay pod elevatorsof FIG. 1 shown with one hay pod in the travel-ready configuration andthe other hay pod in a mid-deploying/stowing configuration;

FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the deployable hay pod elevatorsof FIG. 1 shown with both hay pods in the travel-ready configuration;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a support tube of a deployable hay pod ofFIG. 1 ;

FIG. 4A is an enlarged view of the region designated 4A in FIG. 4 ;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the upper portion of another support tubefor another deployable hay pod elevator in accordance with the presentinvention, including a return assist system with a torsion spring andengagement teeth;

FIG. 6 is a partially exploded perspective view of a lead screw, torsionspring, and upper engagement teeth of the deployable hay pod elevator ofFIG. 5 ;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the lead screw, support arm, and lowerengagement teeth of the deployable hay pod elevator of FIG. 5 ;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of an upper portion of another support tubefor a deployable hay pod elevator in accordance with the presentinvention, including a return assist system with a torsion spring andspring engagement paddle;

FIG. 9 is a rear-side perspective view of a transport trailer withanother deployable hay pod elevator in accordance with the presentinvention, including four deployable hay pods depicted in a travel-readyconfiguration;

FIG. 10 is another rear-side perspective view of the elevator of FIG. 9, with the four deployable hay pods depicted in a deployedconfiguration;

FIG. 11 is a front-side perspective view of the deployable hay podelevators of FIG. 9 , depicted with two of the hay pods in thetravel-ready configuration and the other two hay pods in the deployedconfiguration;

FIG. 11A is an enlarged view of the region designated 11A in FIG. 11 ;

FIG. 12 is a partial-sectional side elevation view of a rear portion ofthe trailer and the hay pod elevator of FIG. 9 , depicted in a deployedconfiguration;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a hay pod guide of the hay pod elevatorof FIG. 8 , depicted in a stowed configuration;

FIG. 14 is a top view of the hay pod guide of FIG. 13 ;

FIG. 15 is a front elevation view of the hay pod guide of FIG. 13 ,depicted in a deployed configuration;

FIG. 16 is a rear-side perspective view of a transport trailer withanother deployable hay pod elevator in accordance with the presentinvention, including four deployable hay pods depicted in a stowedconfiguration;

FIG. 17 is another rear-side perspective view of the deployable hay podelevator of FIG. 16 , depicted with the four deployable hay pods in thedeployed configuration;

FIG. 18 is a front-side perspective view of the hay pod elevators ofFIG. 17 ;

FIG. 18A is an enlarged view of the region designated 18A in FIG. 18 ;

FIG. 18B is an enlarged view of the region designated 18B in FIG. 18A;

FIG. 19 is a partial-sectional side elevation view of the trailer andhay pod elevators of FIG. 16 , depicted in the deployed configuration;

FIG. 20 is another partial-sectional side elevation view of the trailerand hay pod elevator of FIG. 16 , depicted in another partially-deployedconfiguration;

FIG. 20A is an enlarged view of the region designated 20A in FIG. 20 ;

FIG. 21 is an enlarged partial-sectional side elevation view of portionsof the deployable hay pod elevator of FIG. 16 in an at leastpartially-deployed configuration;

FIG. 22 is a rear-side perspective view of another deployable hay podelevator in accordance with the present invention, including twodeployable hay pods shown in a travel-ready configuration;

FIG. 23 is another rear-side perspective view of the elevator of FIG. 22with one of the hay pods depicted in the travel-ready configuration andthe other hay pod depicted in a deploying configuration;

FIG. 24 is another rear-side perspective view of the elevator of FIG. 22with one of the hay pods depicted in the travel-ready configuration andthe other hay pod depicted in a deployed configuration;

FIGS. 25A-25C are rear elevation views of the elevator of FIG. 22 ,depicting sequential steps of stowing the deployable hay pod atop thetrailer;

FIG. 26 is an enlarged sectional rear elevation view of an upper portionof the deployable hay pod elevator of FIG. 22 ;

FIG. 27 is a front-side perspective view of a transport trailer withdeployable hay pod elevators and deployable corral in accordance withthe present invention, shown with the hay pod elevators and corral intheir respective deployed configurations;

FIG. 28 is a side elevation view of the transport trailer withdeployable hay pod elevators and deployable corral of FIG. 27 ;

FIG. 29 is a side elevation view of the transport trailer withdeployable hay pod elevators and deployable corral depicted with the haypod elevators and corral in a travel-ready configuration;

FIG. 30 is an elevation view of the deployable corral of FIG. 27 , shownin its stowed configuration;

FIG. 31 is top plan view of the deployable corral of FIG. 30 ;

FIG. 31A is an enlarged view of the region designated 31A in FIG. 31 ;and

FIG. 32 is a perspective view of the deployable corral of FIG. 30 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depictedtherein, a transport trailer with integrated storage bin or hay podelevator system 10 includes a transport trailer 12 such as a livestocktrailer, a deployable and rotatable or pivotable supply mount, handlingplatform, storage bin, storage rack, or “hay pod” 14, and a verticalraising and lowering element such as a lift hoist 16 that raises andlowers the hay pod 14 relative to a front, side, or back of trailer 12,such as shown in FIGS. 1-3 . It will be appreciated that while the term“hay pod” is used throughout this description, the hay pod 14 that isdescribed and illustrated in the present application is representativeof substantially any form of storage bin, supply mount, or platform forstorage of various items, such as a flat deck or a rack for storingtools, equipment or other supplies. It will also be appreciated thatonly a single hay pod 14 and lift 16 may be provided, or that two ormore hay pods 14 may be mounted on respective lifts 16 at the same,opposite, or adjacent sides of the trailer 12 to provide additionalstorage spaces, such as shown in FIGS. 1-3 . It will be furtherappreciated that while the term “transport trailer” is used throughoutthis description, the trailer 12 that is described and illustrated inthe present application is representative of substantially any form oftransport vehicle and portions thereof, including recreational vehicles,pickup trucks, pickup truck slide-in campers, pickup truck bed rails,pickup truck toppers, automobile roof top carriers, and various othermotorized and non-motorized vehicles. Further, it will be appreciatedthat the principles of the present invention may be applied to marinevessels or even non-vehicles such as storage buildings, withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 1-4 , a hay pod elevator system10 is provided at each of the rear corners of the trailer 12, eachessentially self-contained and integrated into the trailer 12. Theelevator system 10 is capable of manual or powered deployment andretraction by a single operator or user. The lift 16 is operable toraise the hay pod 14 to a height at or above the top of the trailer 12,and to rotate or pivot the hay pod 14 over the top of the trailer 12once the hay pod 14 has cleared the top of the trailer 12 to stow thehay pod 14 for travel, as sequentially demonstrated in FIGS. 1-3 , forexample. The lift 16 is further operable to rotate or pivot the hay pod14 out from over the top of the trailer 12 and to lower it down relativeto the outside of the trailer 12 to a deployed configuration, asdemonstrated in a reverse sequential order of FIGS. 1-3 , for example.

Hay pod 14 deploys to provide a user outside the trailer 12 withconvenient access to stored supplies or materials, such as stored foodfor animals, for tools, tack, camping supplies, or substantially anyother goods that are desired for storage on a trailer or other vehicle.Hay pod 14 includes a door or lid 14 a that is openable and closeable toprovide selective access to the hay pod contents, such as hay bales 15,and that may protect the hay pod contents from insects, rain, or othercontaminants. Thus, the transport trailer with integrated hay podelevator system 10 greatly simplifies storage of hay or animal feedabove a trailer so as to reduce or eliminate much of the manual liftingthat is usually associated with temporary care of livestock. While thepivotable supply handling platform is illustrated as a hay pod 14 thatincludes side walls and an optional door or lid 14 a, it will beappreciated that a flat deck or platform or rack may form the pivotablesupply handling “platform” to support large equipment or supplies, suchas lawn mowers, carts, buggies, other equipment or tools, or buildingconstruction materials, for example. Any of these features may becombined, such as a flat deck or platform or rack that supports astorage bin, or a storage bin with hooks, latches, or other provisionsfor securing other equipment, tools, or the like to its external orinternal surfaces. Moreover, the term “platform” may be used to refer tosubstantially any storage bin or rack, deck, or the like.

Referring to the elevator system 10 in FIGS. 1-4A, the lift 16 includesan elevator support tube 18 that is substantially equal in length to theheight of the trailer 12 and extends at least partially above the top ofthe trailer 12. The lift 16 defines a vertical travel path that issubstantially parallel to and alongside of the adjacent upright wall ofthe trailer 12. The lift 16 includes a lead screw 20 disposed inside thesupport tube 18 (FIG. 4 ) coupled to a screw drive system 22 (FIGS. 4-8) that rotationally drives the lead screw 20. The lead screw 20threadedly engages a lower bearing block 24 inside the support tube 18,such as shown in FIGS. 4A and 5 . As the lead screw 20 spins, the lowerbearing block 24 climbs or descends the lead screw 20, depending on thespin direction and the configuration of the threads of the lead screw 20and lower bearing block 24. The lower bearing block 24 provides a lowfriction support for a support arm 26 of the hay pod 14, such that asthe lower bearing block 24 climbs or descends the lead screw 20, the haypod 14 is lifted or lowered by the lower bearing block 24 relative thelead screw 20. The support arm 26 includes a support cylinder 28 thatfits inside the support tube 18 and provides support for the support arm26 against the support tube 18 to resist pivot (bending moment) forcescaused by the cantilevered configuration of the hay pod 14. The supportcylinder 28 is supported on the lower bearing block 24 and disposedaround the lead screw 20 without engaging the threads of the lead screw20, such that the lead screw 20 can freely rotate within the supportcylinder 28. Optionally, the screw drive system 22 includes a motor 22 a(FIG. 4 ) provided to drive the lead screw 20 to actuate the hay pod 14in a manner that will be more fully described below.

The support tube 18 includes a keyway 30 disposed along the length ofthe support tube 18 (FIGS. 4 and 4A). The keyway 30 provides a guide ortrack along which the support arm 26 freely passes as the hay pod 14raises or lowers. In the illustrated embodiment, a majority of thelength of the keyway 30 is linear, of fixed width, and parallel to thelead screw 20, such that the support arm 26 travels substantiallylinearly (vertically) for a majority of its travel through the keyway30. The keyway 30 prevents the support arm 26 and hay pod 14 from freelyrotating with the lead screw 20 as the lead screw turns. As best shownin FIGS. 4 and 4A, the keyway 30 includes an upper expanded-width regionor portion 30 a having a spiral or helical shape defined by an upperramp or cam surface 32 a and a lower ramp or cam surface 32 b that eachdirect or guide the support arm 26 to rotate relative to the supporttube 18 as the support arm 26 is lifted and lowered, respectively. Asthe support arm 26 approaches the upper keyway portion 30 a from below,the support arm 26 tracks along upper cam surface 32 a, forcing thesupport arm 26 and hay pod 14 to pivot around the longitudinal axis ofthe lead screw 20 and over the top of the trailer 12 into a stowedtravel configuration as the support arm 26 reaches the upper end of itstravel. As the lead screw 20 reverses, such that the lower bearing block24 travels downward relative to the lead screw 20, the support arm 26tracks along the lower cam surface 32 b, causing the support arm 26 andhay pod 14 to pivot around the lead screw 20, out and away from the topof the trailer 12, and then down into a deploying configuration as thesupport arm 26 traverses down the generally linear part of the keyway30.

Optionally, and as shown in FIGS. 5-7 , a torsion spring 34 isrotationally fixed at an upper portion 18 a of the support tube 18 anddisposed above the support arm cylinder 28. The torsion spring 34 storesenergy as the support arm 26 travels up through the spiral-shaped upperregion 30 a of the keyway, and provides return assistance to the hay pod14 to assist in turning or pivoting the hay pod 14 from the stowedconfiguration above the trailer 12 out away from the top of the trailer12 and into the deploying configuration. As the lead screw 20 lifts thelower bearing block 24, thereby lifting the support arm cylinder 28, anupper bearing block 36 that rests atop the support arm cylinder 28 (andremains rotationally fixed to the support arm cylinder 28) eventuallyapproaches a lower portion of the torsion spring 34. An engagementelement 41, disposed between the upper bearing block 36 and the torsionspring 34, provides a rotational interaction point between the supportarm cylinder 28 and the torsion spring 34 (FIG. 5 ). As the support arm26 tracks along upper cam surface 32 a and pivots around thelongitudinal axis of the lead screw 20, the engagement element 41 causesthe torsion spring 34 to twist in the same direction as the rotation ofthe lead screw 20, thereby storing rotational energy in the spring 34 asthe hay pod 14 rotates into the stowed position above the trailer 12.When the lead screw 20 reverses to lower the lower bearing block 24, thestored energy in the torsion spring 34 cooperates with the lower camsurface 32 b to force the hay pod 14 to pivot out and away from the topof the trailer 12 as the support arm 26 traverses in a spiral mannerthrough the spiral-shaped upper region 30 a of the keyway 30.

As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 7 , the upper bearing block 36 supports alower support arm engagement disk 44 that includes a set of lowerengagement teeth 38. The lower engagement disk 44 and its engagementteeth 38 remain rotationally fixed relative to the upper bearing block36 and the support arm cylinder 38, so that engagement teeth 38 rotatewith the support arm 26 and hay pod 14. A set of upper engagement teeth40 extends downwardly from an upper spring engagement disk 42 that isrotationally fixed to a lower portion of the torsion spring 34 (FIGS. 5and 6 ). The engagement teeth 38, 40 interact with each other as thesupport arm cylinder 28 raises and approaches or enters thespiral-shaped upper region 30 a of the keyway 30. As the support arm 26tracks along the upper cam surface 32 a and continues to rise as aresult of the upward force of the lower bearing block 24, the engagementteeth 38, 40 initiate interaction with each other. The interactionbetween the engagement teeth 38, 40 causes the torsion spring 34 totwist and store torsional energy as the support arm 26 is forced torotate by the upper cam surface 32 a. The stored torsional energyincreases as the hay pod 14 pivots fully over the top of the trailer 12.The torsional energy in the torsion spring 34 is stored while the haypod 14 is in the stowed configuration. As the lead screw 20 reverses todeploy the hay pod 14, the torsion spring 34 releases its storedtorsional energy and transfers it between the engagement teeth 38, 40 tothe support arm cylinder 28, thereby adding twisting force to thesupport arm cylinder 28. The twisting force on support arm cylinder 28,along with the lower cam surface 32 b guiding the support arm 26,coordinate to pivot the hay pod 14 out and away from the top of thetrailer 12 into a deploying configuration for subsequent loweringalongside the trailer.

Optionally, the engagement teeth 38, 40 may be formed as a plurality ofdimples, bumps, or raised features disposed on the mating surfaces of aspring engagement disk 42 and the support arm engagement disk 44. Theraised features create increasing frictional and/or direct lateralcontact between respective portions of the spring engagement disk 42 andthe support arm engagement disk 44 as the support arm cylinder raisestoward the torsion spring 34. The frictional and/or direct lateralcontact causes the torsion spring 34 to twist as the hay pod 14 raisesand pivots above the trailer 12 to store increasing torsion force in thetorsion spring 34. The frictional and/or direct lateral contact betweendisks 42, 44 continues until the hay pod 14 is deployed and the supportarm cylinder 28 has lowered to a point that the torsion spring 34 hasreturned to its equilibrium length and the disks 42, 44 are no longer incontact.

Optionally, and as an alternative to the engagement teeth 38, 40, aspring-loaded paddle or tab 46 is fixedly coupled to a torsion springcap 48, such as shown in FIG. 8 . The torsion spring cap 48 isrotationally disposed over the upper portion 18 a of the support tube 18and houses the torsion spring 34 between the cap 48 and the top of thesupport tube 18. The spring cap 48 is rotatable about the longitudinalaxis of the lead screw 20 such that rotation of the spring cap 48 in onedirection causes the spring 34 to store energy, and rotation of thespring cap 48 in the opposite direction causes the spring to release thestored energy. To achieve this, the torsion spring 34 is rotationallyfixed at its upper end to an upper portion of the spring cap 48 and isrotationally fixed at its lower other end to an upper portion of thesupport tube 18 (FIG. 8 ). As the support arm 26 tracks along the uppercam surface 32 a and continues to rise as a result of the lift of thelower bearing block 24, the support arm 26 initiates interaction withthe spring paddle 46. The interaction between the spring paddle 46 andthe support arm 26 causes the torsion spring 34 to twist and storetorsional energy as the support arm 26 traverses the spiral-shaped upperregion 30 a of the keyway 30 (not shown in FIG. 8 ). The storedtorsional energy increases as the hay pod 14 pivots over the top of thetrailer 12, and the torsional energy in the torsion spring 34 is storedwhile the hay pod 14 remains in the stowed configuration. As the leadscrew 20 reverses to deploy the hay pod 14, the torsion spring 34releases its stored torsional energy and transfers it to the support arm26 and hay pod via the spring paddle 46, thereby applying a torsionalforce to the support arm 26. The spring's torsional force on support arm26 and the lower cam surface 32 b cooperate to force the support arm 26to pivot the hay pod 14 out and away from the top of the trailer 12 intoa deploying configuration as the support arm spirals downwardly throughthe spiral-shaped upper region 30 a of the keyway 30.

Optionally, an actuation control system is provided to control andreduce the actuation speed of the lead screw 20. The actuation controlsystem may include a switch disposed at the hoist 16 to de-energize themotor 22 a once the hay pod 14 reaches the fully stowed position or thefully deployed position. Preferably, a proximity sensor, motor speedcontrol, or circuit controller is in communication with the controlsystem to automatically control the operation of the motor 22 a bylimiting actuation of the hay pod 14 to a safe range of travel andappropriate travel speeds as it moves between the fully stowed and fullydeployed positions.

Turning now to FIGS. 9-12 , a vertical raising and lowering element inthe form of a lift hoist 50 provides lifting and lowering capability fora deployable supply handling platform such as a hay pod 14. Referring toFIG. 12 , the hoist 50 includes an electric winch 51 mounted along aroof panel of the trailer, a winch cable 52, a hay pod support box 54,and a support box hinge 56. The pod support box 54 receives or acceptsthe hay pod 14 at the upper range of the hay pod's travel to support thehay pod 14 during final stowing or initial deployment, and while stowedatop the roof for travel. The support box 54 is coupled at one end tothe hinge 56, which is disposed proximate an edge of the roof of thetrailer 12. The hinge 56 provides a pivot point for the support box 54to pivot about a generally horizontal axis from a stowed configurationsubstantially above the trailer 12, to a deployed position extendinglaterally beyond the exterior wall of the trailer 12, as illustrated inFIG. 11 . A lanyard or tether 59 is provided for limiting the forwardtilt of the support box 54 after it has been pivoted to the deployedposition (FIG. 11A). The hay pod is coupled to a free or distal end ofthe winch cable 52, which is attached at its opposite end to the winch51. The cable 52 is routed through a series of pulleys 55 a-d which arepositioned in spaced arrangement for lifting and lowering the hay pod14, and for pivoting the hay pod 14 and support box 54 to the stowedposition in response to the winch 51 drawing in the cable 52. As shownin FIG. 12 , the pulleys include a roof pulley 55 a at the top of thetrailer 12, spaced between the winch 51 and the roof edge and directlybeneath the support box 54 when the support box is in the stowedconfiguration. Next the cable 52 is routed to a middle pulley 55 b neara midpoint of the support box 54, then to an upper/inboard pulley 55 cat an upper/inboard corner of the support box, and then to a hoistpulley 55 d and down through the support box 54 to the hay pod 14 (FIGS.11A and 12 ). The winch 51 retracts or extends the cable 52 to raise orlower the hay pod 14, respectively. Operation of the winch 51 alsopivots the support box 54 and hay pod 14 together about the hinge 56 tothe stowed configuration once the hay pod 14 is fully raised andreceived in the support box 54. The hoist 50 includes a hoist frame 53fixed to an upper portion of the roof of the trailer 12. The frame 53provides a base upon which various components of the hoist 53 (includingthe winch 51, roof pulley 55 a, and hinge 56) are fixedly attached whilealso providing a rest or support for the hay pod support box 54 and haypod 14 when the hay pod 14 is in the stowed configuration.

In a fully deployed configuration, the hay pod 14 is positionedproximate a lower portion of the trailer 12, the cable 52 is extendedfrom the winch 51, and the support box 54 is pivoted upright relativethe roof of the trailer 12 (FIG. 12 ). In a stowed configuration, thehay pod 14 is received in the support box 54 which is then pivoted flatrelative the roof of the trailer 12 by further retracting the cable 52into the winch 51 (FIG. 9 ). During stowage of the hay pod 14, the cable52 is retracted into the winch 51, which raises the hay pod 14 towardthe support box 54. As the hay pod 14 approaches the support box 54 itenters into the space defined by the support box 54, which engages andsupports the hay pod 14. Once the hay pod 14 has been fully received bythe support box 54, the cable 52 continues to retract and begins drawingthe support box 54 over the roof of the trailer, causing the support box54 to tilt or pivot backward about the hinge 56 toward its stowedconfiguration. When the cable 52 is fully retracted by the winch 51, thesupport box 54 and hay pod 14 are positioned in the fully stowedconfiguration, as shown in FIG. 9 .

Referring to FIG. 11A, a torsion spring 58 is disposed at the hinge 56to assist the deployment and stowage of the hay pod 14. The torsionspring 58 is coupled between the support box 54 and the hoist frame 53to provide torsion force to assist the pivoting of the support box 54during actuation. As the cable 52 is retracted and the support box 54 istilted toward the stowed configuration, the torsion spring 58 twists andstores torsional energy in the spring 58, while also preventing thesupport box 54 (and the hay pod 14 contained therein) from pivotingfreely and falling due to gravity onto the hoist frame 53 or trailerroof once its center of gravity is moved inboard of the hinge 56. Oncethe support box 54 is in the fully stowed position, the torsion springstores the torsional energy until the hay pod 14 is to be deployed.During deployment, the winch 51 extends the cable 52 and the torsionalenergy stored in the torsion spring 58 is released. The releasedtorsional energy provides pivoting force to the support box 54 thatlifts the support box 54 toward its upright deployed configuration ofFIGS. 10-12 . When the support box 54 reaches its fully upright deployedconfiguration, the weight of the hay pod 14 is substantially supportedby the cable 52. The lanyard 59 counteracts any remaining torsionalenergy from the spring 58 and the weight of the support box 54 and haypod 14 to retain the support box 54 at the desired upright deployedconfiguration. As the winch 51 further extends the cable 52, the hay pod14 lowers downwardly out of engagement with the support box 54 andcontinues down alongside the trailer 12 toward the fully deployedconfiguration.

The support box 54 of the hoist 50 includes a hay pod guide 60 (FIGS.10-15 ) disposed between the support box 54 and the hay pod 14, whichmaintains an additional connection (in addition to cable 52, which isreeved around the hoist pulley 55 d at the support box 54) between thesupport box 54 and the hay pod 14 as the hay pod is lowered out of thesupport box 54. During stowage of the hay pod, the hay pod guide 60directs the hay pod 14 into position within the support box 54 and, incoordination with the cable 52, further supports the hay pod 14 in thesupport box 54. The hay pod guide 60 also stabilizes the hay pod 14 sothat it cannot spin or swing on the cable 52 in the deployed positionbelow the support box 54. Optionally, an assist mechanism, such as aspring or hydraulic cylinder or gas-charged strut, is disposed with thehay pod guide 60 or between the hay pod guide 60 and the support box 54to assist in deployment and retraction of the hay pod 14 relative to thesupport box 54. While the illustrated embodiments depict a plurality ofhay pod guides 60 coupled to each hay pod 14, a single hay pod guide 60may provide sufficient stability and guidance of the hay pod 14.Alternatively, the hay pod 14 may be suspended solely by the winch cableand allowed to freely hang alongside the upright wall of the trailer 12when the hay pod 14 is in the deployed or deploying configurations. Suchan embodiment is disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. provisionalapplication Ser. No. 62/834,443 filed Apr. 16, 2019, which isincorporated herein by reference.

As illustrated in FIGS. 12-15 , the hay pod support guide 60 includes aplurality of telescoping support bodies 62 which are coupled together ina telescoping fashion and are telescopically extendable relative to oneanother. For example, the telescoping support bodies 62 may extend andretract similar to a multi-stage mast of a forklift. The quantity ofsupport bodies 62, the length of each support body 62, and the length ofthe overall support guide 60, are each determined as a function of thedesired height of the hay pod 14, when fully deployed, relative to thebottom of the trailer 12. The first and largest support body 62 a formsthe upper portion of the support guide 60 when the hay pod 14 is fullydeployed, while the last and smallest support body 62 b forms the lowerportion of the support guide 60. The largest support body 62 a ismoveably engaged with a pair of support guide rails 64, which aremounted to an interior portion of the support box 54, the smallestsupport body 62 b is fixed to the hay pod 14, and one or moreintermediate support bodies 62 c may be coupled between the largest andsmallest support bodies 62 a, 62 b.

The support guide rails 64 are coupled to the hay pod support box 54 toguide the largest telescoping support body 62 a as the support guide 60extends and retracts during deployment and stowage of the hay pod 14(FIGS. 13-15 ). The support guide rails 64 are mounted to interiorsurfaces of respective sidewalls of a given support box 54 such thatwhen the support box 54 is in the upright configuration, the guide rails64 are substantially vertical. In addition to, or alternative to, thepair of support guide rails 64, the largest telescoping support body 62a may have its upper end region moveably coupled to the support box 54via a plurality of fasteners 63 fixed that extend through and slideablyengage a respective one of a pair of slots 65 (FIG. 11A). The slots 65are disposed through sidewalls of the support box 54 and positioned suchthat the slots 65 are substantially vertical when the support box 54 isin the fully upright configuration. The slots 65 are dimensioned toallow the fasteners 63 to move freely up and down along the slots 65when the box 54 is in the upright configuration, while also retainingthe fasteners 63 from exiting or pulling out of the slots 65horizontally. The remainder of the support bodies 62 are similarlytelescopically coupled to the adjacent support bodies 62, with guiderails and/or fasteners and slots, similar to that described above. Thesupport guide 60, including the support bodies 62 and guide rails 64 maybe formed from a resilient, sufficiently rigid material such as steel,aluminum, polyethylene (such as ultra-high molecular weight (UHMW)polyethylene), or a combination of these or other suitable materials.

As the hay pod 14 descends from the support box 54 while deploying, theplurality of support bodies 62 begin to move downward along the guiderails 64 and/or slots 65 until the first and largest support body 62 ais fully extended relative to the support box 54 (FIG. 11A). Theremainder of the yet-to-be extended support bodies 62 b, 62 c continueto telescopically extend in a similar manner until the hay pod 14 is inthe fully deployed configuration (FIG. 12 ). While stowing, as the haypod 14 ascends toward and into the support box 54, the plurality ofsupport bodies 62 move upward in reverse of that described above, untilthe hay pod 14 is fully received into the support box 54. The supportguide 60 preferably has a minimal profile thickness, such as by nestingthe support bodies as shown in FIG. 14 , to reduce the overall footprintof the hay pod 14 and hoist 50.

In another embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 16-20A, another verticalraising and lowering element such as a lift hoist 66 is provided todeploy and stow a deployable supply handling platform such as a hay pod14 similar to that described above for hoist 50, including the hay podsupport box 54 and optional hay pod support guide 60. The hoist 66includes an electric winch 68 having an extendable and retractable cable70 that is attached at the cable's free end to a hay pod 14, and at itsother end to the winch 68. The winch 68 and the cable 70 coordinate toraise and lower the hay pod 14 relative to the exterior of the trailerto stow or deploy the hay pod 14. The cable 70 is routed through aseries of pulleys 72 a-d which are positioned in spaced arrangement atvarious locations, including the top of the trailer 12 and along thesupport box 54 (FIGS. 18A-20A), and which are configured and used insubstantially the same way as the pulleys 55 a-d described above. Thehoist 66 includes a hoist frame 67 fixed to an upper portion of the roofof the trailer 12. The frame 67 provides a base upon which variouscomponents of the hoist 66 are fixedly attached while also providing arest or support for the hay pod support box 54 and hay pod 14 when thehay pod 14 is in the stowed configuration.

To raise the hay pod 14 from a deployed configuration, the winch 68retracts the cable 70, thereby lifting the hay pod 14. As the hay pod 14reaches the roof of the trailer, it is received by the support box 54.As illustrated in FIGS. 20 and 20A, once the hay pod 14 is fullyreceived in the support box 54 and as the cable 70 continues to retract,the support box 54 begins to pivot over a fulcrum 74 at or near the edgeor corner where the trailer roof meets the trailer wall. The support box54 eventually pivots onto its side and onto the top of the trailer roofand is pulled by the cable 70 into a stowed position, wherein thesupport box 54 and hay pod 14 are substantially completely over the topof the trailer 12 (FIG. 16 ). To deploy the hay pod 14, a deploymentassistance mechanism 76 is disposed on top of the trailer 12, betweenthe winch 68 and the stowed hay pod 14 and support box 54. Thedeployment assistance mechanism 76 is provided to move the support box54 off of the top of the trailer 12 and over the edge of the trailer 12as cable 70 is payed out from the winch 68 (FIGS. 19-20A). Once thesupport box 54 reaches its upright deployed configuration, the weight ofthe hay pod 14 is substantially supported by the cable 70. A lanyard ortether 78 is provided with the hoist 66 for limiting the forward tilt ofan upper portion of the support box 54 after it has been pivoted to itsdeployed configuration (FIGS. 17-19 ). The lanyard 78 cooperates withthe fulcrum 74 and trailer wall to counteract against tipping of thesupport box 54 relative to the trailer sidewall to retain the supportbox 54 at the desired upright deployed configuration.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 17-20A, the deployment assistancemechanism 76 is a gas-assisted shock, but substantially any suitablespring mechanism, hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder, or other linearactuator may be used. Such an alternative deployment assistancemechanism is disclosed in above-referenced U.S. provisional applicationSer. No. 62/834,443, and includes a pair of push arms, similar to ascissor-lift arrangement. The assistance mechanism 76 provides a pushingforce to support box 54 when the box 54 and hay pod 14 are in the stowedconfiguration to urge or push the support box 54 toward the edge of theroof of the trailer 12 and then over the trailer's upper edge. Theassistance mechanism 76 is compressed and loaded or actuated to storeenergy when the support box 54 is pulled into the stowed configurationby the winch 68 and cable 70. When the winch 68 pays out the cable 70 todeploy the support box 54 and hay pod 14, the mechanism 76 extends tourge the box 54 toward the edge of the trailer 12. Once the support box54 reaches the edge of the trailer 12, it begins to pivot over thefulcrum 74 as the winch 68 continues to pay out the cable 70.Eventually, the support box 54 tips over the fulcrum 74 and the supportbox 54 and hay pod 14 are extended beyond the fulcrum 74 and into asubstantially upright configuration. With the support box 54 and hay pod14 in the upright configuration, the cable 70 supports substantially theentire weight of the hay pod 14 as it lowers the hay pod 14 out of thesupport box 54 and toward the deployed configuration (or as it raisesduring stowing). When the hay pods 14 are deployed as shown in FIGS. 17and 18 , their contents (illustrated as hay bales 15) are accessible toa user positioned on the ground surface. Optionally, retainer cords suchas bungee straps 14 b are provided to selectively secure the hay bales15 or other goods in each hay pod 14.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 18B and 21 , the support box 54 includes aguide channel 80 coupled to the rear (i.e. trailer-facing side) of thebox 54. The guide channel 80 extends vertically along roughly the entirelength of the rear of the support box 54 when the box 54 is in theupright configuration, as best shown in FIG. 21 . The guide channel 80includes a side 82 that is perpendicular to the rear of the box 54 andextends toward the trailer 12. A slot 84 is formed through a portion ofthe perpendicular side 82 of the channel 80 and configured to receive aguide 86 that is coupled to the fulcrum 74 (FIGS. 20-21 ). The guide 86includes a wheel 88 disposed on an axle so that a portion of the axlebetween the wheel 88 and the fulcrum 74 passes through the slot 84. Theslot 84 and/or portion of the guide channel 80 define a track that movesalong the guide 86. The slot 84 includes a top terminal end 84 a and abottom terminal end 84 b (FIG. 21 ). Each terminal end 84 a, 84 bdefines a maximum travel distance of the support box 54 relative to thefulcrum 74. The guide channel 80, slot 84, and guide 86 cooperate toguide the hay pod support box 54 between the stowed configuration to theupright configuration as the hay pod 14 is being stowed or deployed.

During stowage, once the support box has been fully pivoted onto the topof the trailer 12, and as the winch 68 continues to retract the cable70, the cable 70 pulls the support box 54 toward the winch 68. As thesupport box 54 slides toward the winch 68, the slot 84 travels along thestationary guide 86 until the box 54 reaches the fully stowed position(FIG. 16 ). The bottom terminal end 84 b of the slot 84 may define themaximum fully stowed position of the box 54 as the terminal end contactsthe guide 86. During deployment, as the support box 54 is being pushedoff the roof of the trailer 12 by the assistance mechanism 76, the slot84 travels along the stationary guide 86 until the top terminal end 84 areaches the guide 86. Once terminal end 84 a contacts the guide 86 andas the assistance mechanism 76 continues to push the support box 54, thebox 54 pivots about the fulcrum 74 until the box 54 reaches its fullyupright configuration. At the fully upright configuration, the weight ofthe support box 54 is substantially supported by the fulcrum 74, such asby the axle of the guide 86.

Optionally, a low-friction rub rail or bumper 90 is disposed on the roofand/or wall of the trailer 12 and/or on the box 67, providing protectionfor the trailer 12 and/or box 67 and a low-friction sliding surface forthe hay pod 14 (FIGS. 18A and 18B). A support roller 92 is provided tosupport the support box 54 while the support box 54 is in the stowedconfiguration and to aid in deployment and stowage of the support box 54(FIGS. 18A-18B and 20A). The support roller 92 is positioned proximatethe edge of the trailer roof such that the roller 92 is in contact withthe rear of the support box 54 during stowage and deployment. Thesupport roller 92 provides a low friction support that reduces the forcerequired to move the support box 54 along the top of the trailer 12. Inthe illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 17-20A, the support roller 92cooperates with the guide 86 and guide channel 80 to facilitatedeployment and stowage of the support box 54.

Referring to FIGS. 22-26 , a vertical raising and lowering element suchas a lift hoist 112, for raising and lowering a deployable supplyhandling platform such as a hay pod 14, includes a drive lead screw 114(FIG. 26 ), a support tube 116, a hay pod actuation lever 118, and a haypod actuation mechanism 120. The lead screw 114 is disposed inside thesupport tube 116 and drives a threaded block 124 up and down the leadscrew 114 depending on the rotation direction of the lead screw 114. Amotor 142 (FIGS. 22-24 ) is provided to drive the lead screw 114. Thethreaded block 124 is pivotably coupled to the actuation lever 118 by alink 126 that passes through a keyway 132 in the support tube 116. Theactuation lever 118 is coupled at its other end to the either theactuation mechanism 120 or to a trailer-facing side of the hay pod 14,such as at an upper link 130 (FIG. 26 ). The lead screw 114, actuationlever 118, actuation mechanism 120, threaded block 124, and link 126cooperate to stow and deploy the hay pod 14. The link 126 extendsbetween the actuation lever 118 and the threaded block 124 and freelytravels within the keyway 132 of the support tube 116 as the threadedblock 124 travels along the lead screw 114.

The hay pod actuation mechanism 120 includes a slideable and pivotableactuation frame 122 that movably supports the hay pod 14 (FIGS. 25A-26). The pivotable frame 122 includes a hinge 128 that defines asubstantially horizontal pivot axis about which the hay pod 14 andmechanism 120 are pivotable between a substantially uprightconfiguration and a stowed or substantially flat configuration. A lowercam follower 134, an intermediate cam follower 136, and an upper camfollower 138 are disposed in spaced arrangement on the actuation frame122 (FIGS. 25A-26 ). The cam followers 134, 136, 138 are configured tofollow a cam path defined by the trailer roof line and the exteriorsurface of the support tube 116. The support tube 116 and its exteriorsurface define a vertical travel path upon which the hay pod 14 travelsrelative to the upright wall of the trailer 12. When the hay pod 14 isbeing raised from the deployed configuration each of the cam followers134, 136, 138 is in contact with the exterior surface of the supporttube 116 (not shown). When the hay pod 14 is in the fully stowedconfiguration at least the intermediate and upper cam followers 136 and138 are in contact with the surface of the trailer roof, which mayinclude a wearing surface 140 to protect the roof surface (FIGS. 25A,25B, and 26 ).

In sequential order, FIGS. 25A-25C depict the actuation of the hoist 112as the hay pod 14 approaches and pivots over the roof of the trailer 12during stowing of the hay pod 14. The actuation of the hoist 112 as thehay pod 14 is being deployed follows the reverse order. During stowage,as the hay pod 14 approaches the roof level of the trailer 12, theactuation lever 118 continues to push the hay pod actuation mechanism120 upward and the upper cam follower 138 raises above the roof level(FIG. 25A). When the hinge 128 reaches the top of the support tube 116,the hinge 128 is limited from further vertical movement such that as theactuation lever 118 continues to push upward on frame 122, the upwardforce causes the frame 122 to pivot about the now-stationary hinge 128(FIG. 25B). Once the frame 122 has begun pivoting about hinge 128, thelower cam follower 134 moves away from the exterior surface of thesupport tube 116 and the intermediate cam follow 136 tracks around theedge formed between the trailer wall and roof. The threaded block 124continues to push the actuation lever 118 upward until the upper camfollower 138 contacts the roof surface, at which point the motor 142stops and the hay pod 14 is in the fully stowed configuration. Thissequence is reversed when deploying the hay pod 14 from the stowedconfiguration, wherein as the lead screw 114 rotation is reversed by themotor 142, it moves the threaded block 124 downward which thereby pullsthe actuation lever 118 downward which initiates actuation of theactuation mechanism 120.

Additional means and structures for actuating the hay pod 14 of hoist112 are disclosed in above-referenced U.S. provisional application Ser.No. 62/834,443, which is incorporated herein by reference. Optionally,an actuation control system is provided to control and reduce theactuation speed of the hay pod actuation mechanism 120. The actuationcontrol system may include a switch disposed at the hoist 112 tode-energize the motor 142 once the hay pod 14 reaches the fully stowedposition or the fully deployed position. Preferably, a proximity sensor,motor speed control, limit switch, or circuit controller is incommunication with the control system to automatically control theoperation of the motor 142 by limiting actuation of the hay pod 14 andactuation mechanism 120 to a safe range of travel and appropriate travelspeeds as it moves between the fully stowed and fully deployedpositions.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 27-29 , a hay pod elevator system10 is attached at each rear corner of the trailer 12. Respectiveportions of an integrated deployable corral 144 are pivotably coupled toeach of the hay pods 14 of the elevator systems 10. In the illustratedembodiment of FIGS. 27-29 , the deployable corral 144 cooperates withthe at least one of the walls of the trailer 12 to define a fenced-incorral space 146 when the corral 144 is deployed. However, it will beappreciated that the deployable corral 144 may be configured to define afenced-in corral space that is defined by only the corral 144. Althougheach hay pod 14 may have its own set of corral sections that cooperateto form a larger corral, a smaller corral is possible such as if asingle set of corral sections are provided at a single hay pod 14. Thecorral 144 includes a plurality of larger sized panels 148 and aplurality of smaller sized panels 150 that are alternatingly pivotablyand extendably coupled to one another in an end-to-end configuration toform a chain 152 of panels, as best illustrated in FIG. 27 . The chainof panels 152 is stowable in an accordion-style manner proximate therespective hay pod 14 (FIG. 29 ). Each chain of panels 152 is deployablycoupled to the respective hay pod 14 such that the corral 144 is raisedand lowered along with the hay pod 14 as the hay pod 14 is deployed orstowed (FIG. 29 ). Optionally, the hay pod 14 may be omitted and thesupply mount configured to support only a deployable corral 144 or otherequipment, tools, machinery, or the like. In such an optionalconfiguration, the elevator system 10 primarily functions to raise andlower the deployable corral 144 or other goods for stowage anddeployment relative to the trailer 12.

Referring to FIGS. 30-32 , in the stowed configuration of the corral144, the smaller sized panels 150 are at least partially nestable withinthe larger panels 148. The nesting manner of the corral 144 reduces theprofile thickness of the stowed corral 144. Hinges 154 are providedbetween upright rails 148 a, 150 a of adjacent corral panels 148, 150(FIG. 31A). The dimensions and arrangement of the hinges 154 permitadjacent corral panels 148, 150 to pivot at about 360 degrees relativeto one another. Adjacent hinges 154 are offset vertically from oneanother to improve the nesting functionality of the corral 144 (FIG. 30).

As noted above, the deployable storage systems described herein are notnecessarily limited to livestock feed and tack, and with little or nomodification, may be implemented for different purposes and in differentvehicular or even non-vehicular applications, without departing from thespirit and scope of the present invention. Thus, it will be understoodthat references to horses or other livestock herein are for purposes ofproviding examples of applications and features of the disclosedembodiments, and are not intended to limit the invention to livestocktransport and supply applications. In addition, while the variousembodiments are described with reference to a towable trailer, it willbe appreciated that the principles of the present invention may beadapted to cargo vans, trucks, and self-powered recreational vehiclesincluding boats, and even to stationary structures such as sheds andhomes where vertical storage or material handling is desired, withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Thus, the deployable hay pod elevator system of the present invention isinstalled onto or integrated with a transport trailer such as alivestock trailer, or with substantially any other self-powered vehicle,towable vehicle, and even stationary applications (e.g., inside ofbarns), if desired. The deployable hay pod elevator system may include apowered deployment mechanism, such as a screw drive or cable system,that enables manual or powered deployment and stowage of the hay podwith little or no lifting required by the operator. Various deploymentassistance mechanisms are provided for assisting the powered deploymentmechanism to deploy or stow the hay pod, including torsion springs,compression springs, mechanical ramps, hay pod support frames or boxes,and linkage bars. The powered deployment mechanism is operable toperform most of the deployment and stowage steps for the elevator withdifferent levels of automation, actuation, and sensing available asdesired. Pivoting the hay pods from the stowed orientation to thedeployed orientation relative to the elevator system may be necessary toorient the hay pods to allow access to users or animals.

Changes and modifications in the specifically described embodiments canbe carried out without departing from the principles of the presentinvention, which is intended to be limited only by the scope of theappended claims, as interpreted according to the principles of patentlaw, including the doctrine of equivalents.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property isclaimed are defined as follows:
 1. A deployable supply elevator systemfor a transport vehicle, said elevator system comprising: a verticalraising and lowering element coupled to a portion of the vehicle anddefining a vertical travel path alongside and parallel to an uprightsurface of the vehicle, said vertical travel path extending from anupper region of the upright surface to a lower region of the uprightsurface; and a deployable supply handling platform coupled to saidvertical raising and lowering element and movable along said verticaltravel path; wherein said vertical raising and lowering element isselectively operable to raise and lower said platform along saidvertical travel path; and wherein when said elevator system is in adeployed configuration said platform is positioned in a firstorientation proximate the lower region of the upright surface and whensaid elevator system is in a stowed configuration said platform ispositioned in a second orientation rotated at least about 90 degrees tothe first orientation about a generally vertical axis that is parallelto said vertical travel path, and above the upper region of the uprightsurface.
 2. The deployable supply elevator of claim 1, wherein saidvertical raising and lowering element comprises a support tube coupledto the vehicle and a screw drive disposed in said support tube andselectively operable to raise and lower said platform along saidvertical travel path.
 3. The deployable supply elevator of claim 2,wherein said support tube defines a keyway to guide said platform alongsaid support tube between the stowed configuration and the deployedconfiguration.
 4. The deployable supply elevator of claim 3, whereinsaid keyway comprises a helical portion at an upper region thereof, saidhelical portion enabling said platform to rotate about a vertical axisrelative to said support tube as said platform raises or lowers alongsaid support tube.
 5. The deployable supply elevator of claim 3, furthercomprising a linkage arm coupled to a threaded drive block that ismoveably disposed on said screw drive, said linkage arm configured toraise and lower said platform relative to said support tube as saidthreaded drive block moves along said screw drive in response torotation of said screw drive.
 6. The deployable supply elevator of claim5, wherein said linkage arm is further configured to pivot said platformover an upper portion of the vehicle when said platform has reached theupper portion of the vertical travel path.
 7. The deployable supplyelevator of claim 1, further comprising a motor coupled to said verticalraising and lowering element to drive said raising and lowering element.8. The deployable supply elevator of claim 1, further comprising adeployable corral having a plurality of corral panels extendably coupledto said platform, wherein when said corral is in a deployedconfiguration said corral defines a fenced-in corral space adjacent thevehicle.
 9. A deployable supply elevator system for a transport vehicle,said elevator system comprising: a rotatable supply handling platform;and a vertical raising and lowering element coupled to a portion of thevehicle and defining a vertical travel path alongside and parallel to anupright surface of the vehicle, said vertical path extending from alower region of the upright surface to an upper region of the uprightsurface; wherein said vertical raising and lowering element is coupledto said platform and configured to raise and lower said platform alongsaid vertical travel path; wherein said vertical raising and loweringelement is selectively operable to raise and lower said platform alongsaid vertical travel path; wherein when said elevator system is in adeployed configuration said platform is positioned proximate the lowerregion of the upright surface, and when said elevator system is in astowed configuration said platform is positioned above the upper regionof the upright surface; and wherein said platform is rotatable relativeto the vehicle, about a generally vertical axis that is parallel to saidvertical travel path, and above the upper region of the upright surfacewhen said platform has reached an upper portion of said vertical travelpath.
 10. The deployable supply elevator of claim 9, wherein saidvertical raising and lowering element comprises a support tube coupledto the vehicle and a screw drive disposed in said support tube to raiseand lower said platform.
 11. The deployable supply elevator of claim 10,wherein said support tube defines a keyway to guide said platform alongsaid support tube between the stowed configuration and the deployedconfiguration.
 12. The deployable supply elevator of claim 9, furthercomprising a motor coupled to said vertical raising and lowering elementto drive said raising and lowering element.
 13. The deployable elevatorsystem of claim 9, further comprising a deployment assist system havinga torsion spring configured to store torsional energy while saidplatform is being stowed and to release and transfer said torsionalenergy to said platform during deployment to assist said raising andlowering element in deploying said platform.
 14. The deployable elevatorsystem of claim 13, wherein said deployment assist system furthercomprises selectively engageable teeth disposed between said torsionspring and said platform, wherein said torsion spring is rotationallydrivable by said teeth to twist said torsion spring to impart saidtorsional energy in said torsion spring.
 15. The deployable supplyelevator of claim 9, further comprising a deployable corral having aplurality of corral panels extendably coupled to said platform, whereinwhen said corral is in a deployed configuration said corral defines afenced-in corral space adjacent the vehicle.
 16. A deployable elevatorsystem for a transport vehicle, said elevator system comprising: avertical raising and lowering element coupled to a portion of thevehicle and defining a vertical travel path alongside and parallel to anupright surface of the vehicle, said vertical travel path extending froman upper region of the upright surface to a lower region of the uprightsurface; a deployable supply mount coupled to said vertical raising andlowering element and movable along said vertical travel path; and adeployable corral having a plurality of corral panels extendably coupledto said mount; wherein said vertical raising and lowering element isselectively operable to raise and lower said mount along said verticaltravel path; wherein when said elevator system is in a deployedconfiguration said mount is positioned in a first orientation proximatethe lower region of the upright surface, and when said elevator systemis in a stowed configuration said mount is positioned in a secondorientation rotated at least about 90 degrees to the first orientationabout a generally vertical axis that is parallel to said vertical travelpath, and above the upper region of the upright surface; and whereinwhen said corral is in a deployed configuration said corral defines afenced-in corral space adjacent the vehicle.